Come. Talk. Learn.

Field Organizers: What messages and tactics worked? What didn't?
Bloggers: How did your relationship with traditional media shift?
Fundraisers: Did the makeup of donors (big/sm/online/off) evolve?
Techies: What lessons does the hard data offer?

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BarCamp is the inspiration for RootsCamp. If you are from the BarCamp/Geek world, consider spearheading a RootsCamp in your area.

More notes from RootsCampDC...

Everyone seemed interested in a suggestion that NOI or others organize a Video Roots Camp to focus on nuts and bolts of web video production and distribution ***

Thoughts and experiences with web video:

(Viewed: times)

· Dan Manatt from PoliticsTV

Conventions of traditional TV and Web video can be opposite – don’t know how long you’ve got viewer, so usually want to lead with climax; Important to keep clips on YouTube short because of the way they count views when people leave; Cost of basic setup has dropped dramatically; Should be able to do basics for around $1,000, including camera ($300), editing software, lights, and microphones. Good lights and microphones are crucial. “Speed Kills!” – turnaround time needs to be minimized as much as possible to be effective. “Buyer Beware!” – many old school TV folks have not adapted to web video and will charge too much. “Preditor” – combination of producer and editor with the skills to do both at once;

· Lindsey Berman from Young Voter Strategies

Grants to several youth voting groups, including Rock the Vote; Video on AOL

· Moira Whelan from National Security Network

Wants to try using policy experts to do rapid response to main stream media with web video, e.g. instead of getting a written statement from Madeline Albright discrediting an administration claim, shoot a short, punchy video and put it up on YouTube.

· Bobby Clark from Progress Now, CO

Good quality and “hustle” can produce main stream media pickup; Need people with nerve to be provocative, however, did some “gotcha” interviews of Marilyn Musgrave, but ended up not using them because they came across as too aggressive; Wondered why more efforts have not been made to produce progressive Video News Releases (VNRs) and have them placed in local news; Recorded some videos of accusations of sexual harassment against a candidate, but waited until it broke in papers before using

· Steve Geer from Center for American Progress

Video for advocacy – filmed a cross country road trip for CAP’s www.KicktheOilHabit.org campaign; great learning experience but difficult to justify return on investment; Importance of using YouTube’s built in social networking and having an online outreach plan (blogs, email, social bookmarking) in advance; Another challenge CAP is facing is to create interesting video clips to promote policy research and reports;

· Philip from AlbanyProject

Background in TV/Film production; Make sure you know what you need to get in advance; Good producers can turn around edited clips in amazing time, because they edit in their heads as they shoot;

· Guy from Bob Casey Campaign (?)

Need to train campaigns how to get video from Tivo online, especially debates and interviews; Produced more video than they could put out each day;

Some other ideas that were discussed:

· Metacafe.com and other sites that make micro-payments to video producers based on ad revenue

· MiGente.com is a burgeoning Latino YouTube

An email list was started at the end of the session to discuss video best practices.

Stephen Geer

Manager of Online Advocacy

Center for American Progress

202.741.6383